Indicating handgrip



April 22, 1952 v. CALABRESE INDICATING HANDGRIP Filed June '7, 1949 Vl/vc c/vzo CALAEKESE @W? Patented Apr. 22, 1952 i INDICATIN G HANDGRIP Vincenzo Calabrese, Turin, Italy Application June 7, 1949, Serial No. 97,679 In Italy June 10, 1948 Claims.

This invention relates to a hand-grip provided with displaceable indicating means which are set in motion by the movements impressed upon the hand-grip when used as a means of support or hold.

This type of hand-grip may be used with advantage for example in tramways and like vehicles constituting in addition to a support for a standing passenger an indicating means which can provide indications of different nature and in particular advertisements.

The invention has for its object a handgrip of the above-mentioned type in which all members are enclosed in a rigid body which leaves in sight only the indicating portion of the indicating means which, at each displacement of the hand-grip, shows a different indication.

According to the invention the hand-grip is constituted by a rigid body comprising the strap to be held and a frame enclosing the mechanism, the said body being adapted to be turned and displaced in relation to an attaching member which serves to secure the hand-grip for example to the side or to the roof of the vehicle.

The devices which comprise the movable indicating means and its actuating mechanism are arranged in the body in the form of a frame which carries the strap to be held and the first movable element of the mechanism is connected to the attaching member.

Thus each displacement of the body of the hand-grip in relation to the attaching member produces in the first member of the mechanism a displacement which is transmitted to the movable indicating means.

The annexed drawing shows by way of example one construction of hand-grip in accordance with the invention and Figure 1 is a front view of the whole of the hand-grip and Figure 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 shows separately the actuating members and Figure 4 is a transverse section on the line 44 of Figure 1.

In these drawings the hand-grip is formed of a rigid frame I from which extends downward a strap 2 for use as a grip; 3 indicates the attaching member which may be of any construction suited to the particular application and which is to be attached for example to the roof of the vehicle in which the hand-grip is used as a strap hanger for the passengers.

This attaching member 3 may be conveniently constituted by a separable ring the lower part of which carries pivoted thereon by means of a connecting screw 3 a cylindrical rod 4 adapted to extend into the space limited by the frame I. To this end, the frame I has a hole on its upper side, through which is passed the cylindrical rod 4.

Within the frame, bearings 5 on the sides of the chassis support a rotatable shaft 6 in one with a drum 1 the cylindrical surface of which bears the desired indications.

This drum constitutes the indicating means and its cylindrical surface may be occupied by Writing or illustrations of any kind. In the construction shown, each support 5 consists of a C-shaped projection in the interior of the side of the frame I and the lateral opening of the C-projection is closed by an arm 216 of resilient wire anchored on pin 2| projecting from the inner surface of the frame I.

The shaft 6 of the drum I has a toothed wheel or a polygonal block 8 on which acts a tooth 9 carried by a flexible arm II) which is connected at its upper end to the end of a lever I I (formed merely by a flexible blade) which has its other end secured to the frame I in l2 and is connected at an intermediate point to the end of the rod 4 within the frame I.

In this manner each relative displacement between the frame I and the attaching member 3 produces a deflection of the blade II and consequently longitudinal displacement of the arm ID, the tooth 9 of which will move through one step the wheel or polygonal block 8 fixed to the shaft 6 of the drum.

In the construction shown, the lever II consists of a resilient blade fixed at one end by a screw I2 into the upper cross piece of the frame I and engaging at an intermediate point with the lower end bf the cylindrical rod 4.

To this effect, the rod 4 is reduced near its lower end, forming a head II, and the blade II shows on one side a notch to embrace the por-- tion of reduced section of the rod 4, above the head I1. A metal plate I8 notched on one side, is locked on the plate II to close the gap in the blade I I laterally to the rod 4 and thus securing the engagement for the blade II and the rod 4. At its extremity opposite the anchorage at I2, the blade I I is connected by means of clip I9 to the bottom of a forked spring III whose two branches are directed downwards, embracing between them, in the intermediate zone, a square block 8, and they bear near their extremities against outer abutments l3 and IA.

One of the branches of the spring It] has a tooth 9 with one edged upper side and one slightly sloped lower side. Such a tooth is easily obtained by forming a notch in the blade cutting off the portion of metal sheet which is to form the upper edge.

By means of the hand-grip described when its strap is' gripped by the hand and when a pull is exerted on it which causes the frame to be displaced on the rod 4, a displacement throughone step is produced in the mechanism. described with a consequent angular displacement of the drum 1 'by the effect of which anotherportion of the drum is brought into viewing position so that the said drum shows another of the indi cations which it carries.

' When traction on the strap 2 ceases, the spring II will bring back to its original position the resilient system comprising the arm [0, whereby the tooth 9'moves to and behind another edge of the square block 8 so that on a subsequent pull applied to the strap 2 such block'is forced to perform another deviation thus causing a partial rotation of the drum 7 and bringing in sight another of the indications borne by the drum.

The frame I is closed on each of its two frontal faces by a wall [5 made of an opaque material and which leaves at a suitable place a window [6 through which is visible a definite area of the cylindrical surface of the drum 1, or of the band riding the drum which constitutes the indicating member and bears the indications.

Since the rod 4 by means of which the attaching'member is engaged with the frame is cylindrical the hand-grip may not onlymove around the connection but also turn about the axis of the'rod to adapt itself to'any desired position in relation to the attachingmember 3.

What I claim is:

1. In an indicating hand-grip, a rigid body comprising a frame and a strap to be gripped by the hand, said frame having a hole in its upper side, indicating means comprising atleast a rotatable drum mounted in said frame, a member for movably attachingsaid body, a cylindrical rod connected to said attaching member and extending through said hole into said jecting from one of said branches and cooperating with said block for its intermittent rotation, said spring being connected with the free end of said lever.

3. In an indicating hand grip, a rigid body comprising a frame and a strap to be gripped by the hand, said frame having a hole in its upper side, indicating means comprising at least a rotatable drum mounted in said frame, a member'for movably attaching said body, a cylindrical rod connected to said attaching member and extending through said hole into said frame said frame being displaceable on said rod, a resiliently acting lever mounted in said frame and connected at an intermediate point with said cylindrical rod, a block connected with said'drum,

frame said frame being displaceable on said rod,

a lever mounted in said frame and'connected at an intermediate'point with said cylindrical rod, a polygonal block connected with said drum, a fork shaped spring gripping between their branches said block, a toothprojecting from one of said branches and cooperating with said block for its intermittent rotation, said spring being connected with the free end of' said lever.

2. In an indicating hand-grip, a rigid body comprising a frame'and a strap to'be gripped by the hand, said frame having a hole in its upper side, indicating means comprising atleast a rotatable drum mounted in said frame, a member for movably attaching said body, a cylindrical rod connected to said attaching member and extending through said hole into said frame said frame being displaceable onsaid rod, a resilientlyacting lever mounted in said frame and connected at an intermediate point with said cylindrical rod, a polygonal block connected with said drum, a fork shaped spring gripping between their branches said block, a tooth prosaid block providing a plurality of corners, a fork shaped spring gripping between their branches :said block, a tooth projecting from one of said branches and providing a sharp edge and aslop'e acting" in opposite direction'on said corners, said spring being connected with the free end of said lever.

4. In an indicating hand-grip, a rigid body comprising a frame and a strap to be gripped by the hand, said frame havinga hole in its upper side, indicatingmeans comprising at least a rotatable drum mounted in said frame, a member for movably'attaching said-body, a cylindrical rod connected to said attaching member and extending through said hole into said frame said frame being displaceable on said rod, a resilient blade mounted in said frame and connected at an intermedite point with said cylindrical rod, apolygonal block connected with said drum, 3, fork-shaped spring providing two branches gripping between their branches saidblock, a tooth projecting from one of said branches andcooperating with saidblock for its intermittent rotation, said'spring being connected withthe free end of said resilient blade.

,5. In an indicating hand-grip, a rigid body comprising a frame and a strap to be gripped by the hand, said frame having a. hole inits upper side, indicating means comprising at least a rotatable drum mounted in said frame, a member for movably attaching said body, a cylindrical rod connected to said attaching member and extending'through said hole into said frame said frame being displaceable onsaid rod, a resilient lever mounted in said frame and connected at an intermediate point with said'cylindrical rod, a polygonal block connected with said drum, spring means comprising two arms gripping between their branches said block, a tooth projecting from one of said arms and cooperating with said blockfor its intermittent rotation, said spring means being connected with the free end of said resilient lever.

VINCENZO CALABRESE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

